Text: The United States federal government should remove current sanctions on its aid to Zimbabwe and allocate all necessary additional funding through the World Health Organization for the prevention and treatment of Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome in Zimbabwe. We’ll clarify.
The counterplan solves 100% of the case while avoiding the corruption netbenefit – it shows credibility in the international community.
Dr. Frenk Guni – Your Author, HIV/AIDS and public health policy expert and consultant, 3/30/05, “Death by Denial: A Case for Mugabe”, http://www.worldpress.org/Africa/2056.cfm [T Chenoweth]
This is a time for decisive leadership, a time for action, a time to put aside political demagoguery; this is a time to think and act for the cause of humanity. We need to re-focus and channel resources to rebuild and strengthen Zimbabwe’s health care and response mechanism. Agreed, there remains a question of accountability on the part of the Zimbabwe government, but surely there are ways to go around that threat. For instance, channel the AIDS response funds through the United Nations Theme Group on H.I.V./AIDS or through the World Health Organization or more directly to N.G.O.s — not withstanding the recently passed N.G.O. Bill of Zimbabwe which to this day the president has not assented to. The bill in material terms does not prohibit external funding to N.G.O.s that are providing humanitarian services not linked to the internal politics of Zimbabwe. If we do not act fast and now, history and posterity will judge us all for our inaction. Zimbabwe’s children are a generation in peril and it’s our time to show that we care. Yes it is our time to show that the international community will stand by the most vulnerable and weak in their time of need. It is not the “body politick” that has H.I.V./AIDS in Zimbabwe and are bearing the burden of care. But it is the ordinary men, women and children who are now looking up to the international community for their own survival.
And, empirically the WHO can effectively deliver ARVs to Africa.
Professor Reigle et al, University at Buffalo, 4-28-06 (“HIV and AIDS in Africa: A Community Assessment” Nursing 310: Family and Community Assessment, www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~kjarndt/AIDS%20in%20Africa.doc [T Chenowth])
Currently anti-retroviral drugs are not accessible to majority of the population due to high cost (Wikipedia, 2006). Pregnant women, infants, and people who are severely ill are top priority for accessing ARVs. Until now, free anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) were not available to AIDS patients in Africa. In countries such as Uganda, Zambia and Botswana, the government in collaboration with world health organization and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have initiated programs to increase access to ARVs all infected people. These programs are founded by World Bank, Global Fund and NGOs (Kanabus, A. & Berry, S., 2006). Holistic approach, that include antiretroviral therapy, spiritual support, protection from stigma and discrimination, food and nutrition, voluntary counseling and testing, treatment of opportunistic infections, and palliative care, to treatment is encouraged in people with AIDS in Africa. This approach will also help to further enhance treatment adherence, prevention and to reduce incidence HIV infections (Kanabus, A. & Fredriksson, J., 2006) Treatment of HIV/AIDS are influenced by several factors such as access to treatment and care, poor nutrition, drug resistance due to poor drug adherence resulting from severe side effects of drugs and high cost of drugs. Accessibility to treatment is still a major problem in most countries. However, this problem is being alleviated by assistance from governmental organizations and NGOs. Some countries are working on manufacturing generic brands of ARVs in their country to reduce the cost and to increase availability and accessibility to their citizens. With the improving access to ARVs, the outcome of treatment is very promising. Due to the severity of the side effects of ARVs good nutrition encouraged in people with AIDS so that they can handle therapeutic effects of the drugs. Drug resistance has become problematic to the treatment process of AIDS world wide. Specifically for AIDS patients in Africa, this is due to high drug cost and severe side effects of ARVs to the immune system resulting in poor medication adherence which leads to drug resistance. People tend to discontinue medication because they either cannot afford it or they cannot withstand the severity of the side effects. Part of treatment and the state of AIDS in Africa is directly related to teaching and the education of the people in these areas.
Mugabe will move to strengthen the laws against NGOs – only using the UN can avoid the disad.
Clare Kapp, 6-14-07 (World Report: “Health crisis worsens in Zimbabwe” Elsevier Ltd. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(07)60927-1, Science Direct [T Chenoweth])
President Robert Mugabe's government has clamped down even further on the slightest whiff of dissent, moving with force to break up even peaceful demonstrations. Dozens of opposition leaders attending a prayer meeting organised by the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition on March 11 were detained in the most notorious incident. One activist was shot dead, up to ten reportedly died in hospital of injuries, and others, including Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai, were hospitalised with serious injuries. The ZADHR added its voice to the chorus of condemnation against “the escalating use, by security forces, of torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment”. The association said it was especially concerned that it was difficult for doctors to monitor the condition of detainees because authorities purposefully delayed access to medical treatment. The ZADHR released a long list of the dozens of injuries sustained by citizens at the March prayer meeting including fractures, gun shot wounds, head and soft-tissue injuries. “The western powers preach war on other nations and practise peace on their citizens. African powers preach peace on everyone else and practise war on their citizens. Which is the better evil? Can the medical profession afford to keep silent about these cases any more?”, said ZADHR President Douglas M Gwatidzo in an open letter. Gwatidzo told The Lancet that he had not suffered any reprisals for speaking out and that he hoped that, as an association of professionals, the ZADHR would escape new controls requiring all non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to have a government licence, which can be denied if they fall foul of the government. Some analysts have predicted that the Private Voluntary Organisations Act will be used to tighten the screws even further on NGOs, especially those involved in civil rights. UN organisations are not covered by the new restrictions but even so walk a constant tightrope with the government.
The counterplan solves 100% of the case while avoiding the corruption netbenefit – it shows credibility in the international community.
Dr. Frenk Guni – Your Author, HIV/AIDS and public health policy expert and consultant, 3/30/05, “Death by Denial: A Case for Mugabe”, http://www.worldpress.org/Africa/2056.cfm [T Chenoweth]
This is a time for decisive leadership, a time for action, a time to put aside political demagoguery; this is a time to think and act for the cause of humanity. We need to re-focus and channel resources to rebuild and strengthen Zimbabwe’s health care and response mechanism. Agreed, there remains a question of accountability on the part of the Zimbabwe government, but surely there are ways to go around that threat. For instance, channel the AIDS response funds through the United Nations Theme Group on H.I.V./AIDS or through the World Health Organization or more directly to N.G.O.s — not withstanding the recently passed N.G.O. Bill of Zimbabwe which to this day the president has not assented to. The bill in material terms does not prohibit external funding to N.G.O.s that are providing humanitarian services not linked to the internal politics of Zimbabwe. If we do not act fast and now, history and posterity will judge us all for our inaction. Zimbabwe’s children are a generation in peril and it’s our time to show that we care. Yes it is our time to show that the international community will stand by the most vulnerable and weak in their time of need. It is not the “body politick” that has H.I.V./AIDS in Zimbabwe and are bearing the burden of care. But it is the ordinary men, women and children who are now looking up to the international community for their own survival.
And, empirically the WHO can effectively deliver ARVs to Africa.
Professor Reigle et al, University at Buffalo, 4-28-06 (“HIV and AIDS in Africa: A Community Assessment” Nursing 310: Family and Community Assessment, www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~kjarndt/AIDS%20in%20Africa.doc [T Chenowth])
Currently anti-retroviral drugs are not accessible to majority of the population due to high cost (Wikipedia, 2006). Pregnant women, infants, and people who are severely ill are top priority for accessing ARVs. Until now, free anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) were not available to AIDS patients in Africa. In countries such as Uganda, Zambia and Botswana, the government in collaboration with world health organization and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have initiated programs to increase access to ARVs all infected people. These programs are founded by World Bank, Global Fund and NGOs (Kanabus, A. & Berry, S., 2006). Holistic approach, that include antiretroviral therapy, spiritual support, protection from stigma and discrimination, food and nutrition, voluntary counseling and testing, treatment of opportunistic infections, and palliative care, to treatment is encouraged in people with AIDS in Africa. This approach will also help to further enhance treatment adherence, prevention and to reduce incidence HIV infections (Kanabus, A. & Fredriksson, J., 2006) Treatment of HIV/AIDS are influenced by several factors such as access to treatment and care, poor nutrition, drug resistance due to poor drug adherence resulting from severe side effects of drugs and high cost of drugs. Accessibility to treatment is still a major problem in most countries. However, this problem is being alleviated by assistance from governmental organizations and NGOs. Some countries are working on manufacturing generic brands of ARVs in their country to reduce the cost and to increase availability and accessibility to their citizens. With the improving access to ARVs, the outcome of treatment is very promising. Due to the severity of the side effects of ARVs good nutrition encouraged in people with AIDS so that they can handle therapeutic effects of the drugs. Drug resistance has become problematic to the treatment process of AIDS world wide. Specifically for AIDS patients in Africa, this is due to high drug cost and severe side effects of ARVs to the immune system resulting in poor medication adherence which leads to drug resistance. People tend to discontinue medication because they either cannot afford it or they cannot withstand the severity of the side effects. Part of treatment and the state of AIDS in Africa is directly related to teaching and the education of the people in these areas.
Mugabe will move to strengthen the laws against NGOs – only using the UN can avoid the disad.
Clare Kapp, 6-14-07 (World Report: “Health crisis worsens in Zimbabwe” Elsevier Ltd. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(07)60927-1, Science Direct [T Chenoweth])
President Robert Mugabe's government has clamped down even further on the slightest whiff of dissent, moving with force to break up even peaceful demonstrations. Dozens of opposition leaders attending a prayer meeting organised by the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition on March 11 were detained in the most notorious incident. One activist was shot dead, up to ten reportedly died in hospital of injuries, and others, including Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai, were hospitalised with serious injuries. The ZADHR added its voice to the chorus of condemnation against “the escalating use, by security forces, of torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment”. The association said it was especially concerned that it was difficult for doctors to monitor the condition of detainees because authorities purposefully delayed access to medical treatment. The ZADHR released a long list of the dozens of injuries sustained by citizens at the March prayer meeting including fractures, gun shot wounds, head and soft-tissue injuries. “The western powers preach war on other nations and practise peace on their citizens. African powers preach peace on everyone else and practise war on their citizens. Which is the better evil? Can the medical profession afford to keep silent about these cases any more?”, said ZADHR President Douglas M Gwatidzo in an open letter. Gwatidzo told The Lancet that he had not suffered any reprisals for speaking out and that he hoped that, as an association of professionals, the ZADHR would escape new controls requiring all non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to have a government licence, which can be denied if they fall foul of the government. Some analysts have predicted that the Private Voluntary Organisations Act will be used to tighten the screws even further on NGOs, especially those involved in civil rights. UN organisations are not covered by the new restrictions but even so walk a constant tightrope with the government.